Are their high popularity only used for selling skins? They're incredibly weak despite having many players, yet the developers insist on not buffing them. (Part Three)

Sun Shangxiang relies on her first and second skills for kiting, and immediately enters her power spike at level three. The armor penetration effect grants extremely high damage. Knowing the rules of the Rift, level four is a watershed moment; her ultimate skill determines everything. Compared to other marksmen, after unlocking it, her combat power is pushed to another level. This young lady is just a long-range cannon, used for finishing off enemies; there's nothing particularly special about her. Her output is smooth, still relying on her small skills. When she will be buffed is unknown. With movement becoming a basic skill, these older marksmen are gradually being phased out. While stationary marksmen still have support protection, their attributes have been improved, giving them an inherent advantage. Look at how Hou Yi stands out; even the "pig farming" strategy has emerged. Sun Shangxiang dominates a top-tier position, but the gameplay experience is lacking.

New Summoner Spell: Ineffective

Returning to the other question, is the new skill "Convergence into Soldiers" helpful? The only question is whether it's worth considering. Sun Shangxiang went through a period without Flash, relying primarily on Purify. Because she has a dash ability, and several versions ago, utility characters were the mainstream, Purify provided greater survivability by removing negative effects. Flash allows you to maintain distance, but it makes you easier to catch up. Unless you're used to playing Sun Shangxiang without Flash, that summoner skill is rather underwhelming.

New stealth gear: Difficult to use

The new equipment, Shadow Blade, is still irreplaceable unless the delayed skill doesn't interfere with Xiangxiang's stealth. Before this equipment was officially released, it caused a lot of discussion, with many netizens praising it and believing that Season 43 would embrace the era of marksmen. In recent years, we have witnessed the rise of warriors and tanks, starting from the top lane and extending to the jungle. Initially, it was because of the advantage of warrior and tank attributes, standing and fighting marksmen, using powerful healing and health to slowly wear them down.

As time went by, they faded out of the jungle, undergoing a morbid transformation. Pure warriors took over the dominant role, recklessly farming minions and the jungle, even bringing teleportation skills to control all three lanes and allocate the most resources. Solo pushing became the norm, and now they even forcibly take away the marksman's support. The new conjoined twins, Ma Chao and Sun Bin, are no longer rare. Marksmen have lost their bodyguards, and Sun Shangxiang's strength is insufficient. How can they lane?

Image source: Internet